Gender Equality Kenya Project #21657

Nakuru Safehouse for Kenya Women and Children

by Springs of Hope Foundation

Nakuru Safehouse for Kenya Women and Children

Project Report | Apr 8, 2022
Meet Julia, one of our recent graduates.

By Antoinette Hoareau | Project Administration Manager

For over two years now I have had to attend our graduations virtually. I've always said what a blessing our dedicated team in Kenya has been during these very trying times.
I would like to introduce Antoinette, one of the newest members of our team along with Julia, (her name has been for her privacy), one of our recent graduates.
Please read Antoinette's full account of Julia's accomplishments despite the many, many challenges Julia has overcome in her young life. I hope Julia's success will bring you some happiness and joy during these very troubling times.

Warmest regards,

Jennifer Hughes-Bystrom
Founder/CEO
Springs of Hope Foundation

Hello Everyone,

My name is Antoinette. I joined the team at Kijiji Mission in Feb 2021, and I must say that I love being involved in this very special project and watching our girls blossom into competent, confident young women during the time they are with us. As a mother of adult sons, I must confess that I do become very attached to our beautiful girls. One of the greatest joys for me in my position as administrative manager is following up on the success of our graduates.

Meet Julia, one of our recent graduates. Julia's young life has been very challenging, to say the least, with very little hope for her future until she was admitted into Kijiji Missions' one-year program. With the disruption of Covid Julia actually stayed with us for 18 months. Julia was born HIV Positive, is deaf, and mute. Her mother was a victim of the traditional custom of marrying off very young girls at age 12 or 13 yrs too much older men in exchange for a dowry of a dozen or so cattle. Julia's mother died in childbirth, leaving her to be raised by an elderly father and extended family. Her father is now in his 80s, is in poor health, and is in no position to assist her. In fact, his solution for Julia's future after graduation was to arrange a marriage to a much older man, repeating the cycle of abuse.

Julia's greatest strength is being able to sew pre-cut items with speed and accurate attention to detail. After graduation, she was offered a job and accommodation at a project we are closely associated with, Daraja 360.
As we all went our separate ways after graduation in December to enjoy a well-earned Christmas break, the first since the beginning of Covid, we were quite nervous and worried that Julia would not be permitted to report to her new job in January. Much to everyone's relief, Julia reported to her new employer, has settled in very well, and is already earning bonuses on her production.

We are all so very thankful to you for your support. Without you, girls like Julia would not have the future that women all over the world deserve.

Asante Sana.

Warmest blessings,

Antoinette Hoareau

Project Administration Manager

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Through sponsorship, you can change the destiny of a girl like Julia by providing her with the skill needed to become a well-trained young woman. Our program not only teaches tailoring. We incorporate beginning computer training, bookkeeping, business, and money management, along with healthy lifestyle skills, opening the door to education so that she may realize her full potential and fulfill her dreams.

This is the first graduation in two years that we have been able to share and celebrate the girl's achievements with their family and friends.

Julia's cousin was able to be with her on her special day.

If you have been thinking about becoming a monthly sponsor to a young woman like Julia, now is a great opportunity to have your first donation matched.

During the Year-Round Monthly Match, donations up to $200 USD per unique donor per project from donors setting up a new monthly donation will be matched one time at 100% after four total payments.

I WOULD LIKE TO BECOME A MONTHLY SPONSOR

Links:

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Dec 31, 2021
Happy New Year. May 2022 be filled with Many Blessings.

By Jennifer Hughes-Bystrom | Founder/CEO

Graduation with the families able to attend.

As we get ready to welcome the New Year, we wanted to thank you for helping us achieve so much through the power of education this year.

Earlier this month we held what has to go down in history as our smallest graduation ceremony ever. Due to the Covid pandemic, we have had to admit our students one at a time and place them in two-week quarantine in our volunteer house. Consequently, Martha, our headteacher felt that these three students, who all arrived in January 2021, were the only ones fully qualified to graduate.

However, there were two very wonderful things about this special, small graduation. For the first time in two years, family and friends were invited to join us to celebrate their daughter's special day as all of our students are fully vaccinated. Secondly, after a well-earned Christmas break, all three graduates have jobs waiting for them in January with one of our partner projects.
Congratulations ladies.

I don't need to tell you that 2021 has been yet another year full of hurdles — the pandemic has continued to challenge people and communities around the world, driving an even bigger gap between already existing inequalities and hardship.

I do have some great news to share though. A good friend and long-time supporter of the Springs of Hope Foundation has offered to match all donations, up to $5,000.00 between now and December 30th.
Please help us take full advantage of these matching funds by

DONATING HERE

On behalf of our entire family at the Springs of Hope Foundation, we wish you and your loved ones a Happy New Year. May 2022 be filled with many blessings.

Warmest regards,

Jennifer Hughes

The proud family members

A very happy and proud mother.

Proud uncle and older brother.

The students love to sing and dance at graduation.

Practicing for weeks ahead of the very special day

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Dec 16, 2021
200% match on monthly donors this week. Please share our work with your friends and family.

By Jennifer Hughes-Bystrom | Founder/CEO

Young Baringo county mother

Dear *|FNAME|*,

It's been just over two weeks since we held our Giving Tuesday fundraiser with GlobalGiving. Again this year we not only focused on our vocational training program for young women, but we also included our food hamper program for the elderly, disabled, and single mothers. I'm so grateful to you for making it so successful. Not only did we raise enough money to support our vocational training program moving forward into 2022, but we also raised enough to keep the food hamper program going throughout the holiday season, tripling the number of hampers we have distributed weekly over the past four weeks.

Imagine you're elderly, handicapped, or a single parent caring for your disabled child, ...with little or no government assistance! That's the predicament the recipients of our food hamper program have lived with for the past 20 months since Covid first arrived in Kenya. Normally they rely on the kindness of neighbors or their adult children. However, due to the COVID 19 pandemic, the neighbors are also out of work and not receiving an income. They too are struggling to feed their families daily. In many situations, adult children have had to move back to their rural villages due to business closures. For the past month, we have felt financially comfortable preparing and distributing three times our usual weekly food hampers because of the confidence we have knowing that we have you as a monthly donor.

Please share the word among your friends that this week (December 13th to 17th), GlobalGiving will match all new monthly donations at 200%.

100% of the donation that Springs of Hope Foundation receives will go directly toward our food distribution program.

We have never needed your help more than at the present time.

Thank you so much.
Warmest blessings,
Jennifer Hughes-Bystrom
Founder/CEO
Springs of Hope Foundation

* P.S. If you sign up for a new recurring donation from December 13-17th, GlobalGiving will match your first donation at 200% after 4 monthly donations.

Recipients of our weekly food distribution program

Community members at one of our weekly food sites

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